Animoto Video

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.

Introductory

I teach math so I like lists Therefore, this introduction will be bulleted facts:

• I am Sarah Cline
• My maiden name is Pryor.
• Graduated from FSU in May 2011. (Elementary Education/Math5-9)
• Got married and bought a home in Lewisburg, WV in June 2011
• I still call the tiny town I grew up in, Paden City, WV, home.
• Taught 7th Grade Math at Summers Middle School last year (a 50 minute commute).
• Now teach 8th Grade Math at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School (a 5 minute commute-very happy about that)
• Took a year break from school, but am ready to go. 
• I am feeling a little overwhelmed with full-time grad school and teaching at a new school.  However, I am certain it will be worth it in the end.

Here is a "Where I am From" video I created prior to student teaching in 2011.

Double Entry Journal #1

Quote:

"The fifth concept encourages students to consider the question of why the message was sent and where it came from. Too often students believe the role of media is simply to entertain or inform, with little knowledge of the economic structure that supports it"
(Kellner & Share, 2005).


Reflection:

Being that I am a math teacher, of course I am going to go after the quote about the economic structure that supports media.  I know that when I was a kid, I took absolutely everything on television as fact or entertainment.  Even as I grew older, I did not question the CSNBC specials or news reports.  I did not truly know the purpose of commercials; I looked at media a hobby and enjoyment.

When in college, I had a science professor, Debra Hemler, teach me a valuable lesson.  She had a room full of pre-service teachers watch a special about the “Landing on the Moon Hoax.”  This special was very biased; the message was sent to get people to believe that we never landed on the moon.  We took careful notes.  After the movie, Dr. Hemler asked the class how many people thought we actually landed on the moon.  Nobody raised there hand.  Then Dr. Hemler told us valuable information that was not in the video we watched;  for example, moon rocks (which have a composition unlike any earth rocks) were brought back.  The point of her lesson was to show us the importance of questioning.

Too many times, our students do not consider why a message was delivered in the media.  Is it to persuade us?  Is it to inform?  What is the economic structure behind the message?  It is very possible for media present favorable information, as it did in the 2000 election. 

Students need to understand that at the end of the day, the purpose of mainstream media is to make money.  It is important to know the corporate interests of media companies. It is important for our students to question everything.

Additional Research:
Washington Post- How Biased are the Media Really?

The link above is from the Washington Post and explores biases in the media(of all types). It views the media as a changing landscape.  Very interesting read!

Citation:
Farhi, P. (2012, April 27). How biased are the media, really?. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-biased-is-the-media-really/2012/04/27/gIQA9jYLmT_story.html

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2005). Toward critical media literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy. Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 26(3), 369-386. Retrieved from http://gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/essays/2005_Kellner-Share_TowardsCriticalMediaLiteracy.pdf